Yes, thank you Susan for that link. Those adobe shelters look great. Victoria's fire commissioner made a statement over the weekend suggesting country communities may have to look at building emergency bunkers.

Here's a link to the local effort at fire bunkers, mentioned in my earlier post:

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/...es/1428913.aspx



It is all too late, and sadly, there is is bound to be opposition. But it seems ludicrous that there are no subsidies for bunkers in a country where the Federal government provides cashback rebates for solar hot water systems and home insulation.

I can understand the reluctance of fire and other authorities to sanction the use of bunkers when there is no building code to cover them. Unfortunately, even if authorities published a 'recommended' minimum standard of bunker they would, no doubt, be liable, should there be deaths.

Fire authorities point out that smoke inhalation has been a killer in some of the more amateurish bunker/shelters.

As of Monday, 16 Feb, the death toll remains at 181 with many still seriously and critically ill with burns and other injuries.

I think it is important to remember that these were firestorms, where 'ordinary' fire precautions were overwhelmed. Many deaths occurred when people stayed to fight the fires. These fires were spotting hundreds of metres in front of the main blaze; the temperatures were so high, 40-45C plus, before the fires even began, that homes simply blew up as the fires swept over them.
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"Serve in Love; live by Faith"